Cole Hause, who plays Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone, reveals that he once thought that the Paramount show would lose its audience. Initially premiering in June 2018, this neo-Western drama series follows the Dutton Family, and particularly the family’s patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner), as he struggles to preserve his family’s cattle ranch from an Indian reservation and land developers while also navigating and managing medical issues, political aspirations, and internal family conflicts.
Speaking to Esquire, Hauser reveals that he was worried that the show might lose a significant part of its audience before the first part of Yellowstone season 5 which premiered in November 2022. He explains that he was, however, relieved to see that many viewers truly love his character as well as everyone else’s, with the latest season of the show recording its best streaming numbers to date. Read his full comments below:
I was worried that we might lose our audience before Season Five, but it was quite the opposite. The fanbase truly loves not just my character, but everyone. It’s pretty special to know that people care that much. That’s certainly what you do it for.
Yellowstone’s Viewership Has Increased Over The Years
Despite being a show that largely revolves around an old family ranch, the show has increasingly soared in popularity, each season boasting fairly commendable ratings. In fact, the Yellowstone franchise has grown so much since its inception that it has produced two ongoing spinoffs: I883 and 1923, while there are two other spinoffs currently in development.
Right now, Yellowstone stands as one of the most-watched series on TV. While the first two seasons of the show premiered on Paramount Network, and it still put on very decent numbers, with the second season averaging approximately 5 million viewers per episode, Yellowstone’s move to CBS improved its numbers even more. The season 3 premiere attracted 7.6 million viewers, while the subsequent season 4 and 5 premieres garnered over 12 million viewers respectively.
There are a number of reasons why Yellowstone’s popularity continues to soar even after five seasons. Firstly, the show feels different from what a lot of modern audiences are used to. Its premise is quite unlike a lot of the shows around today which revolve around very similar ideas and themes and as such, Yellowstone feels like a breath of fresh air to many. Also, Costner’s steadfast presence across the show’s five seasons is undoubtedly one of the reasons why more and more people keep tuning in even after five seasons. With season 5, part 2 reportedly coming soon, it will be interesting to see if the show can continue to put up its impressive numbers.